Cigabette case



Jan. 30, 1923.

0. H. STYLES.

CiGARETTE CASE. FILED Die 12, I921 asgz= 2/ ,F 3 5. 47 e 22 w i 4 8 l INYENTELR Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

@FFlCE.

CIGARETTE casn.

Application filed Deeember 12, 1921. Serial No. 521,616.

To all iii/1.0771 2% may concern Be it known that I, O'rro H. STYLns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have made an invention appertairr ing to a Cigarette Case; and I do hereby dc:- cla-re the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventioin such will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a case wherein cigarettes, soda fountain straws, matches or the like may be easily dropped. or dispensed one by one from the case and yet wherein the articles will be held in position whenthe case is closed to prevent undue shaking of the articles or displacement in'the case. The invention has for its object other features and advantages that will appear from the following description and upon examination of'the' drawings forming a part hereof.

The invention may be contained in cases or dill'erent forms, and to illustrate a practical application of the invention 1 have selected a cigarette case as an example of such constructions and shall describe it hereinafter. The construction selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates atop view of the case, a part being shown broken away. Fig. 2 illustrates a side View of the case. Fig. 3 illustrates a side view of the casewhcn the case is open for the purpose of removing a cigarette. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4t l indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 55 also indicated in Fig. 1.

'l in the figures is a shell which is closed,

' except for the opening 2 formed at one end.

and at the top of the shell. The top 3 of the shell may be hinged on the rod 4 and may be secured in closed position by the raised knobs 5 located on the sides of the body portion of the shell 1 that registers with openings formed inthe sides of the cover 3, or the cover 3 may be permanently secured, as by solder or spot welding, and constitute a permanent part ofthe body portion of the shell 1, or it may be formed from the sheet from which the body portion 1 is tormed, a d thus be an integral part or" the shell 1. The top 3 of the shell is provided with a plurality of slots 6 in which are located springs 7 that are secured preferably to the underside of the top and are bellied upwards so as to extend to the outside of the shell, both ends thus being located within the shell. Alternate springs are preferably se cured near the opposite ends of the shell so the free ends of alternate springs will likewise extend towards opposite ends of the shell and the free ends may be depressed by pressure on the bellied portions of the springs. I l

The case cover 8-is provided with a top portion 9 and side portions 10. The side portions 10 extend over the sides of the shell 1 and is provided with a suitable finger engaging means, such as the raised portions 11, whereby the top of the case 8 may be held in hand by pressure of the thumb and finger of the user upon the sides 10. The cover of the case is connected to the shell by rods 12 and 13. The rods 12 may be formed integral with the springs 14 that surround the ends of the rod 4-. The rods 12 and 13 have a length that is greater than the thickness of the cigarette case. They are pivotally connected to the shell and to the cover 8 and are located in parallel relation so that, notwithstanding the movements of the shell or cover relative to the other they will be maintained in substantially parallel relation. The springs 1 L operate to yielding-1y close the cover over the opening 2 of the shell and at the same time to. cause the cover to press against the bellied portionsof the springs 7 and depress the "free ends of the springs into the shell. 4

Cigarettes may be inserted through the opening 2 when the cover is raised by movement of the shell relative to the cover and thus the case may be filled with cigarettes and when the cover 8 is lowered by return movement of the shell relative to the cover the springs 7 will be depressed and holdv the cigarettes in position except the one opposite the opening 2 and so as to prevent them from turning endwise toward the opening 2 by shaking of the case, such as it is subject to when being carried in the users pocket.

The end of the shell is provided with a plate 15 that is pivotally connected to the shell 1 by means of the pintle 16. The pintle 16 is located at the edge of the opening 2 that is nearer to the end of the shell 1. A spring 17 operates to swing the plate 15 and the free edge thereof towards the other edge of the opening 2. The ends of the plate 15 are provided with the pins 18 that are located in the slots 19 formed in the sides of the shell 1., and thus the movement of the plate 15 islimited by the pins 18 and the slots 19. The ends of the plate 15 are also provided with cam members or flanges 20 that are formed integral with the plate 15 and which are located at right angles to the plate 15 and at the ends thereof. The flanges 20 extend outward through the opening 2 and so as to be engaged by the underside of the cover 8 when the cover is closed by the operation of the spring 14;. The flanges or cam members 20 extend from the plate 15 a distance sutlicient to Cause the plate 15 to be depressed substantially to bottom of the shell 1 when the cover 8 is closed, and the pin 18 and the, slot 19 are so located as to permit the free edge of the plate 15 to move by the operation of the springs 17 to substantially the center of the shell 1. When, therefore, the case is held in a vertical position the lowermost cigarette, which is free from the springs 7, will pass down over the plate 1.5 and be placed intermediate the plate 15 and the top of the cover 8, and when the shell 1 is depressed relative to the cover so as to uncover the opening 2 the lowermost cigarette will drop from the case, but at the same time the plate 15 will be swung to its mid-point position by the operation of the spring 17 and its free edge will engage the succeeding cigarette so as. to hold the cigarettes in the case which have been dropped towards the lower end since the springs 7 have been released by the movement of the top of the cover 8 from the shell 1. When, therefore, the cover is closed after the removal of the cigarette the springs 7 and the plate 15 will again be depressed and. if another cigarette is desired the. depression of the shell by the forefinger of the user while the cover is being held between the thumb and the other fingers, will release another cigarette while the others have dropped down and are held in position by the edge of the plate. 15.

If desired, a,-moistening pad 21 may be locatedin the end of the shell 1 and a portion 22 of the plate 15 may be bent inward so as to prevent the pad orv sponge 21 from becoming displaced from the end of the shell. The pad 21 may be moistened with Water and thus the tobacco of the cigarettes "may becontained in an atmosphere of suitable humidity.

I claim:

1:. In a case. for cigarettes and the like, a shell and. a cover, a member operated by the cover for releasing a cigarette from the shell. and engaging a second cigarette in the shell when the cover is opened, and a second member for releasing a third cigarette in the shell.

2. In a case for cigarettes and the like, a shell and a cover for the shell, a springmemher operated bythe cover for engaging the cigarettes in the shell when. the cover is closed and for releasing the cigarettes when the cover is opened.

In a case for cigarettes and the like,'a shell and a cover, springs having bellied portions and operated by the pressure of the cover on the bellied portions to depress the springs tor engaging the cigarettes when the cover is closed and for releasingthe cigarettes when the cover is opened.

4.. In a case for cigarettes and the like, a shell and a cover for the shell, a pivoted i'nen'iber located in the shell and operated by the rover to remove a cigarette from the shell.

5. In a a cover and a shell, a plate pivoted to the shell and operated by the cover for releasing a cigarette from the shell and for engaging the adjoining cigarette.

6. In a case for cigarettes and thelike,

:ase for cigarettes and the like,

a cover and a shell, a spring-pressed plate pivoted to the shell and operated by the. cover, means for limiting the movements of the plate to release a cigarette and engage the adjoining cigarette in the shell.

7. In a case for cigarettes and the like, a cover and a shell, a plate pivoted to the shell and operated by the cover for releasing a" cigarette from the shell and for engaging the adjoining cigarette, a springpressed member operated by the cover for engaging cigarettes contained in the shell when the cover is closed and releasing the cigarettes when the cover is opened.

8. In a case for cigarettes and the like, a cover and a shell, a plate pivoted to the shell and. operated by the-cover. for releasing a cigarette from the shell and for engaging the adjoining cigarette, a springpressed member operated by the cover for engaging cigarettes contained in the shell when the cover is closed and releasing the cigarettes when the cover is opened, a moist ening pad located in the shell.

In a case for cigarettes and the like, a cover and a shell, a plate pivoted to the shell and operated by the cover for releasing a cigarette from the shell and for engaging the adjoining cigarette, a springpressed member operated by the cover for engaging cigarettes contained in. the shell when the cover is closed and releasing the cigarettes when the cover is opened, a moistening pad located in the shell, means for re taining the moistening pad in one end of the shell.

10. In a case for cigarettes and the like, a mail, a cover, rods connecting the ends of the cover with the ends of the shell to maintain the cover in substantially parallel re,- lation to the shell notwithstanding the movements of the cover relative to the shell, a spring-messed plate pivotally connected to the shell and cont-rolled by the cover, means for limiting the movement of the plate for the ejectment of successive cigarettes upon each opening of the cover.

11. In a case for cigarettes and the like, a shell, a cover, rods connecting the ends of the cover with the ends of the shell to maintain the cover in substantially parallel re lation to the shell notwithstanding the 1novements of the cover relative to the shell, a spring-pressed plate pivotally connected to the shell and controlled by the covenineans or limiting the movement of the plate for the ejectnient of successive cigarettes upon each opening of the cover, a plurality of springs having bellied portions extending through the shell and operated by the cover to release the cigarettes in the shell when the cover is opened and to engage the cigarettes in the/shell when the cover is closed.

12. In a case for cigarettes and the like, a shell, a. cover, rods connecting the ends of the cover with the ends of the shell to maintain the cover in substantially parallel relation to the shell notwithstanding the movements of the cover relative to the shell, a spring-pressed plate pivotally connected to the shell and controlled by the cover, means for limiting the movement of the plate for the ejectnient of successive cigarettes upon each opening of the cover, a plurality of springs having bellied portions extending through the shell and operated by the cover to release the cigarettes in the shell when the cover is opened and to engage the cigarettes in the shell when the cover is closed, a nioistening pad located in one end of the shell.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

OTTO H. STYLES. 

